Month: November 2016

In a couple of hours, I will be facilitating another “Emerging Leaders” group sessions here at work. We are working our way through John Maxwell’s book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. Here is an application from the end of chapter 5 (Law of Consistency) that is worth sharing:

“The more whys you have for pursuing personal growth on a daily basis, the more likely you will be to follow through. Start compiling those whys. Think of immediate benefits as well as long-term ones. Consider reasons related to purpose, vision, and dreams. Think of how it will help you relationally, vocationally, and spiritually. Any reason to grow is a good reason as long as it’s your reason.”

I read this friend’s post Facebook just now. I thought you would enjoy reading it.

[from the book “Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy & Wise” by David Niven]

‘Everywhere around you there are average people. They entice you into being more like them by offering their acceptance and by leading you to believe that everyone else is already more like them than you are.

But the “average-person sales pitch” leaves out that you will be sacrificing your goals, sacrificing your individuality and unique ideas – leading a life that is not so much yours as it is determined by the preferences of your group.

“A person who wants to be a leader must turn his back to the crowd.”

Psychologists have observed that bad habits can spread through an office just like a contagious disease. Employees tend to mirror the bad behaviors of their coworkers, with factors as diverse as low morale, poor work habits, and theft from the employer all rising based on the negative behavior of peers.’

Yesterday, my leadership team and I had lunch with Tim & Todd Baumann of Aunt Millie’s Bakehouse. Tim serves as the EVP of Sales and Todd is the Director of Continuous Improvement / Strategic Growth. I met Tim while standing in a 2 hour line during early voting. We talked about bread, Cubs baseball, and leadership.I later emailed him asking him to meet my leadership team.

I have taken my leaders outside of our office to meet, interact with, and learn from local entrepreneurs and business leaders. Aunt Millie’s has been in business in our city since 1901 and they do business all over the U.S. as overseas (Saudi Arabia, Dubai, etc.). The family who has been leading this company does so with passion, integrity, and great effectiveness.

We had an outstanding time with great conversations and shared insight. My leadership team asks wonderful questions and are very curious and eager to learn and grow.

Here are some of our take-a-ways:

Creating a culture that lasts for generations takes commitment, consistency, and courage.

I want to help create a culture that becomes a legacy at 3Rivers – where people love being here while serving our communities.

Leadership matters– whether a company bakes bread or makes loans.

It is worth getting better. Always.

Serving others is a leader’s highest calling.

“Be intentional”. None of us have all of the right answers however if your head and your heart is in the right place than great things are bound to happen.

Build trust.

In our community, we have a rich history of successful leaders, entrepreneurs , and community investors. This exercise is proving to add value to my team, those we meet, and to me personally. My team becomes ignited through these experiences. We grow in our leadership journey as we work to always “lift our lids”.